West Bloomfield treasurer under fire for trips, procedures, new deputy treasurer

If West Bloomfield Treasurer Teri Weingarden were a Bull's-eye, you could say the arrows aimed at her right now are coming from three different directions.

One accusation involves her newly hired deputy treasurer, Jared Maynard, a former deputy treasurer in Harrison Township and former Republican Party chairman.

At the July 22 meeting, West Bloomfield Township trustees cut Maynard's pay from $70,000 to $40,000. The board also criticized Weingarden for taking trips paid partially by Opal Financial Group, a pension investment company.

At the same meeting, the board criticized her handling of certain banking procedures, and OK'd hiring a firm to audit Weingarden's department.

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"It's a waste of public funds," Weingarden said. "They did this using Plante & Moran in 2009 and there were no findings. The audit cost $8,524."

The new deputy treasurer's pay cut is "completely political and mean spirited in nature," she said, adding that all of these accusations cause employee stress.

"The previous board had a lot of political infighting, but they didn't bring employees into it."

Because of what is happening now, she said, "several employees have died or quit, citing a hostile work environment. I don't know why the board is doing this."

In recent years trustees have bickered over everything from a trustee's effort to give back his pay to the supervisor's controversial traffic stop.

Some people argue it's just the same old West Bloomfield politics.

The deputy treasurer

Weingarden's previous deputy had 25 years of experience and earned approximately $59,000 annually.

Maynard, the new deputy, reportedly has six years' experience.

"We felt he wouldn't be deserving the same pay as a 25-year employee," said Clerk Catherine Shaughnessy.

Shaughnessy also doesn't care for Maynard, former chairman of Macomb County Republicans.

"He is not there to do what is best for the township," she said.

Weingarden said her deputy is "highly competent," with a wide range of skills.

In a similar scenario, Shaughnessy and Supervisor Michele Ureste went head to head in 2011 over Shaughnessy appointing her campaign political advisor as her deputy.

"It's interesting it is the same players but now different points of view," Weingarden said.

Clerks and treasurers can appoint their own deputies, officials said.

Some township officials said that Maynard has been insubordinate, Weingarden said.

"He directly reports to me, the treasurer, and I'm his only boss. He hasn't been insubordinate to me," Weingarden said.

She said it's "reprehensible" that Maynard's pay was cut.

The board has also approved a forensic investigation of the Treasurer's Office.

"The Treasurer directed Comerica Bank to exclusively communicate with her office after she inaccurately prepared legal bank documents giving the new deputy treasurer access to the account without board approval," Ureste said. "This action to prohibit communication prompted the board to conduct an investigation to determine all authorized signatories on the account."

A call placed to Maynard for comment after the July meetings was not returned.

The forensic report is expected to be discussed during the Aug. 26 board meeting, officials said.

The trips

The township board has passed a resolution asking Weingarden, who is a member of the Pension Board, to provide details on who paid for what on two trips, one to California in December and another to Rhode Island in July.

The Rhode Island trip, to Public Funds Summit East, was July 22-24 at the Newport Marriott in Newport. The cost for asset managers and service providers was approximately $2,700. There was no charge for pension/union trustees, administrators, directors or officers/nondiscretionary consultants.

The moderator of Real Asset Investing on July 22 was listed as the Treasurer, Charter Township of West Bloomfield.

The company sponsoring the seminars pays part of the cost, said Shaughnessy.

"It's a real gray area," she said. "Pension board members need to be fiscally responsible. You have to be careful. Why not disclose (the trips) to the board and who paid for this? I would never go somewhere where there was anyone who might have future business with the township. I consider (the trips) to be highly unethical and inappropriate."

Weingarden said it's "vital" in her job that she stays updated on new laws and investment options.

Asked if she took the trips using vacation time, she answered, "The Opal Pension training occurred during the week, but involved evening travel. By law I only have to work a few days a year. In practice I work a ton. So it is not accurate to say I was attending training during work or on vacation since my job does not really work that way."

Weingarden said the township and pension system were not charged a cent for the trainings.

"I had some personal out-of-pocket expenses and some of the expenses were sponsored as is the policy of Opal," she said.

"The first trip probably cost me $300-$400 and the second trip cost more, as I had to fly back early due to all the allegations back home. That trip probably cost me approximately $600," she stated.

David Kasdan, Oakland University assistant professor of political science, said the American Society of Public Administrators stress that a public official is to "put the public's interest before their own."

If an official benefits personally while claiming official duties, that is a conflict of interest, Kasdan said.

He advised public officials to make their dealings with such companies transparent and obviously for West Bloomfield's benefit.